Bride Of The Dragon (2 page)

Chapter Three

“Ha, ha, ha…” Kelly scoffed. “Wait, why aren’t you laughing?” She stared at him in alarm. He had to be messing with her. There was absolutely no way.

But Gabriel just favored her with a polite grin. “Oh, I’m dead serious about this. Dearly beloved.”

Kelly felt a wave of dizziness sweep over her, and she took several steps back. “It’s just a skit. It’s just one of the amusements at the fair. How could it lead to marriage?”

“You didn’t study up on the traditions of the fair before you staged this elaborate charade?” Several of Gabriel’s servants rushed up to him with clothing, and he started dressing as they spoke. Thank God for that, because it was hard to act professional when all her eyes wanted to do was focus on the region south of his navel. His cock, specifically. His huge, thick, erect cock.

In keeping with the fair’s theme, his servants were dressing him in the costume of a medieval nobleman; he stepped into a pair of lace-up breeches as Kelly frantically tried to remember what she’d read about the Fair Maiden skit.

“Apparently not enough,” she spluttered. “I mean, all I needed to do was get close enough to you that I could…” she paused “…interrogate you.” There was no need to tell him about the truthstone. Maybe, just maybe, if she got her purse back, there was still a chance of using it after all.

Gabriel pulled on a blousy shirt and let two of his servants lace up an embroidered doublet.

One of the manservants gave him a doleful look as he tightened the laces. He was tall and lean, a human, in his forties but with the pinched, prudish expression of someone several decades older. “Sir, I must remind you again that the breeches are of the fourteenth-century Venetian style and the doublet is of the early sixteenth-century French style. This attire is not historically accurate.”

“Thank you, Winthrop, duly noted. Since I look quite dashing, I believe I’ll stick with what I’ve got here.” Gabriel winked at Winthrop, who didn’t even bother to hide his look of disgusted disapproval.

“As you wish, sir,” he muttered.

Then Gabriel focused his attention on Kelly again. “It’s a local tradition intended to unite humans and dragons. The idea was, if a human female from a prominent local family was married to a dragon, then the dragons would be less likely to roast the humans alive. And the humans would be less likely to shoot cannons at us. Win-win all around. So, in Nevada, the name of one eligible male dragon and one eligible female human from the Tri-Valley area is selected each year, and they act out the Dragon and St. George Skit, and then they’re considered to be betrothed. Thirty days later, they marry.”

She thought of Pandora, passed out and nearly naked on the floor with the guy she’d been making out with all morning. When Kelly had entered their trailer earlier that day with the drugged beer, they hadn’t even stopped playing tonsil hockey long enough to acknowledge her presence; the guy had just vaguely waved at a table for her to set the pitcher down.

“But it’s not a love match,” she said.

“No. It’s a sacrifice that we have to be willing to make. Or
sometimes
it’s a sacrifice.” He grinned at her, his expression turned feral and hungry. “Sometimes we get lucky.”

Panic clutched at her throat, and she sucked in a breath and tried to unscramble her thoughts. This couldn’t be happening. “Surely you can’t intend to go through with this and marry me.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Can’t I? Dragon law requires it.”

She was in dragon territory. That meant that she was subject to dragon law. “But you should be marrying the Fair Maiden,” she said desperately. “She’s the one who was selected for you.”

He was fully dressed now, and he looked like medieval royalty. He strode over to her until he was so close that he was practically pressed up against her, and stared into her eyes with an expression of gentle amusement. Her heart was pounding so hard that she could feel each throb, and a sensual warmth swept through her, responding to Gabriel’s nearness and his spicy scent.

“I’ve got an excellent knowledge of dragon law as it applies to our clans.” He smiled gently. “What it specifically says is that the dragon marries the maiden from the skit.”

She was really getting lightheaded now; she was afraid she might pass out. This was the twenty-first century. Could something like this really happen? Could he insist on marrying her?

A treacherous voice from deep within whispered,
Would that be so bad?

Yes, it would, she reminded herself firmly. Sure, he was handsome, sexy and charming, and he filled her with desire in a way no-one else ever had. He was also a thief, which meant two things. He hurt innocent people by stealing from them, and one day he’d end up in prison. She knew exactly what that did to a family – all too well.

The fact that he was so sexy made it even worse. Getting a taste of him and then having to give it up would be worse than never knowing what he tasted like. Or something like that. She was so panicked that her brain was having a hard time coming up with a decent working metaphor.

“You could get out of it!” she protested. “You could file a legal challenge. You could still marry Pandora.”

“Could I get out of it?” He shrugged. “Perhaps, if I tried really hard. Perhaps not. But I’m not going to try.”

“Oh, come on,” she scoffed. “Surely you aren’t going to pretend that you want to marry me? I’ve been trying to get you arrested for an entire year. And it’s not like you need
me
. I’ve seen you in action, remember? Everywhere you go, there are all these gorgeous women who worship the ground you walk on – women who would do everything you say and everything you want.”

He was still smiling, still gently amused. “Very true. How dull would that be?”

“But I can’t move here.” She hated the whining sound in her voice. “I live in Seattle. I’ve got a job. I’ve got a townhouse. I’ve got…plants.” Dear God, did her life sound pathetic.

He shrugged. “We’ll pay for you to break the lease. We’ll bring your plants here.”

She waved a hand in defeat, and her shoulders slumped. “Never mind – they’re plastic.” Now her life sounded even more pathetic. No wonder she’d worn through so many Battery Operated Boyfriends over the last year…while fantasizing about Gabriel.

But still…marrying him? Sleeping with the enemy?

No, she would not give up this easily! She drew herself up and scowled at him. “You know, my position with Allied Jewel Insurance is more than just a job – it’s a calling. A public service. I find stolen jewels and return them to where they’re supposed to be.”

“Interesting way to put it…but we’ll discuss that later.”

The crowd was flowing their way now, she saw. He grabbed her by the arm and marched her over to a very attractive older couple who were dressed in medieval garb; the woman wore a gown with bell sleeves and a square neckline, and a snood adorned with pearls, and the man was dressed in a similar fashion to Gabriel, with leggings, a doublet, a leather belt with a ceremonial sword in a scabbard…and an ankle monitor, which meant he was on probation. Probably confined to the castle grounds and forbidden to shift for the duration.

Gabriel’s father Emerson, then. He’d been caught in an office building right next to the Mildenhorff Museum in New York City at three a.m. The Mildenhorff had a renowned collection of jewels on display; one in particular, the Sunrise Citrine, was believed to be his target.

Emerson managed to get off with a mere breaking and entering charge, because he had an excellent lawyer, and he’d never actually been arrested before. That arrest had been an anomaly for the Kingsley family; unusually sloppy for them.

The Kingsleys were widely known as dragon scoundrels, although they also owned a world-renowned jewelry store to make it seem as if they’d gone legit. True, they travelled around the world making completely legal, aboveboard purchases of various gemstones these days, but the rumors dogged them – famous gems had a habit of disappearing when the Kingsleys were in town.

“Mother, Father, this is Kelly Donovan, the woman I’m going to marry. She’s that delightful insurance investigator I told you about, the one who’s after the Dragonsblood Ruby. She sneaked in and substituted herself for Pandora. Kelly, this is Tabitha and Emerson.”

She braced herself as his mother drew her breath in sharply. She waited for the insults, and maybe some threats.

His mother waved at a group of servants, who hurried over to her. “Pull down that banner at once!” she bellowed. “He’s not marrying Pandora! Let the celebration begin!”

The crowd cheered as Kelly stared at them in astonishment. Had his parents missed the part where he’d said that she was trying to arrest him?

“I told you it would all work out in the end, dear,” Emerson said, with an affection stroke of his wife’s arm.

“Yes, you did. You’re always right.”

Tabitha stood on her tiptoes and kissed Emerson on the cheek. Then she suddenly threw her arms around Kelly and crushed her in an enormous hug. She smelled of sweet rose petals and just the faintest whiff of sulfur.

Then she released Kelly and stood back, looking her up and down with approval and nodding to her husband.

“Welcome to the family,” Emerson said cheerfully. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to us. In time.”

“Oh, thank heavens,” Tabitha said to Gabriel. “What a relief! I’ve barely slept for weeks. I was planning on wearing mourning attire to your wedding, you know. Now I can wear my new Givenchy. Or perhaps the Pierre Cardin.”

Gabriel gave Kelly a devilish smile. “Pandora was not very popular.”

Kelly looked at Tabitha in a desperate appeal for common sense. “Are you saying you want your son to marry someone who is actively trying to throw his scaly tail in prison?”

“Oh, dear, we all know what a trial Gabriel can be.” His mother rolled her eyes at Gabriel. “I’m sure you’ll come to love him as much as we all do, and then the urge to throw him behind bars or off a cliff will lessen.”

“She actually has thrown me off a cliff, back when I was a child,” Gabriel confided to Kelly. “Something about me setting the cook’s hair on fire, as I recall.”

“Oh, don’t be dramatic about it,” his mother snorted. “I waited until I was sure that you could fly.” She paused. “
Pretty
sure.” Then she hurried over to the banner as the servants struggled to pull it down. She tipped her head back and let out a mighty stream of fire that burned the banner to ashes.

Kelly stood there with her mouth opening and shutting like a fish flopping on a boat deck.

Then she realized that the two women from earlier – the women who’d rushed her over to the stage – were now up here, circulating among the crowd. Had Gabriel known she was in town? Had he orchestrated this whole thing somehow? She would put nothing past him.

“Can I get you a drink?” asked Gabriel, who seemed to be enjoying this far too much. He went to put his arm around Kelly’s shoulders, but she stepped away.

“Yes,
please
.” Kelly looked around at the crowd, who were starting to stream towards her. “Make it a double,” she added. “Whatever it is, make it a double.”

Chapter Four

He led her over to a bar, and the people crowding around it stepped aside to let her and Gabriel walk to the front of the line. They patted her on the back and congratulated her, and she mumbled insincere thank yous, not sure what to say under the circumstances.

She had the option of going medieval – mead, mulled wine – or modern. She went modern. A possible forced marriage to the dragon she’d been alternately crushing on and trying to arrest for the past year? Calling back to the office to tell them what had just happened? This called for enough alcohol to float an armada.

There followed a blur of introductions. She met uncles, cousins, his gloomy valet Winthrop – who whispered, “My condolences” – and various other servants and friends. Finally Gabriel took pity on her and led her away from the crowd so she could finish her drink.

Gabriel’s mother waved at him to come over, and she made some kind of hand signal as she did so. Of course they’d have hand signals.

“You’ll excuse me just one minute – my mother wants a word,” Gabriel said. “Actually she probably wants several, unfortunately. I’ll be right back.”

He hurried off through the crowd.

Kelly walked away, not sure where she was headed. She was feeling thoroughly disoriented. She’d planned on flying back to Seattle that afternoon, in triumph. Instead she would be stuck here, at least for the night. And probably forever. She could consult with a lawyer, but she knew she didn’t have a legal leg to stand on. Human-dragon shifter relations were delicate enough; no lawyer would want to deliberately stir things up by trying to flout dragon tradition.

As she strolled past an apple tree, she saw a group of teenage girls standing under the tree and gossiping together, and staring and pointing at another teenage girl, who stood alone a few dozen feet away from them. Classic case of mean-girl behavior; Kelly grimaced in remembrance of what that felt like.

She started to walk towards the girl who was standing by herself, and the group of girls spotted her.

“Oooh, are you going to marry Gabriel? He is soooo hot!” one of the girls cried out as she walked past them. “Can you invite us to the reception?”

She paused and gave them a severe look. “No bullies allowed,” she said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to talk to a friend of mine.”

Their faces fell as she walked past and headed over to the dragon shifter, about fourteen or fifteen years old. She wore an ankle-length velvet gown trimmed in gold brocade; it hung awkwardly off her skinny frame. Tall and gangly, with walnut-brown hair that cascaded down her back, she’d be a stunner in a few more years. She just stood there and stared at Kelly without speaking.

“Hello,” Kelly said, holding out her hand. “I’m Kelly. And you are?”

“I’m still making up my mind,” the girl replied.

“About what?”

“Whether you can marry my uncle. So this is the girl you’re thinking of marrying?” she asked as Gabriel strolled up to them.

Gabriel nodded cheerfully. “Looks that way. Evangeline, this is my bride-to-be, Kelly. You should get my mother to take you dress shopping.”

Evangeline resumed her scrutiny. “Well, she seems nicer than Pandora, although I’m kind of disappointed, actually.”

“Disappointed?” Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “You hated Pandora.”

“Yes, exactly. I was looking forward to throwing her off a cliff the first time I got her alone.”

At that, Gabriel shook his head. “No, Evangeline, there will be no throwing humans off of cliffs,” he said firmly.

She squinted at him skeptically. “Not even ones we really, really can’t stand?”

“You heard me. No.”

Evangeline let out a long, martyred-teenager sigh. “Well, I guess I could set her on fire.”

“Not unless you want to be grounded until your hundredth birthday.”

“But then I’d miss the homecoming dance, and prom!” Evangeline pouted.

“That’s why you shouldn’t incinerate or otherwise murder anyone,” Gabriel said sternly.

Evangeline went into a full snit, stamping her foot, and her eyes flashed red. Scales covered her face and sparks flew from her nostrils. “Did I ever tell you that you’re my least favorite uncle? Well, except for Calder.”

Evangeline glanced over at a handsome man who was standing by himself, drinking a beer. The man bore a startling resemblance to Gabriel. He looked so much like him that he had to be his twin.

“Every day and twice on Sunday,” Gabriel said with exaggerated patience.

“Well, now I’m going to make it four times on Sunday!” And with that not particularly terrifying threat, Evangeline flounced off.

Kelly glanced over at Calder again, and he caught her eye and held up his glass in a mock toast. Then he strolled over to them, much to Gabriel’s obvious annoyance. All the teenage girls standing under the tree giggled behind their hands and called out, “Hey, Calder!” He ignored them.

“Hello,” he said to Kelly. “Since no one else is likely to introduce us, I’m Calder. Apparently you’re going to marry my brother. I’m not sure if I should offer my congratulations or condolences.” Then he gave Gabriel a calculating glance. “No, I’m pretty sure which one it is.”

“Why wouldn’t anyone introduce us?” she asked, puzzled. “You’re Gabriel’s twin brother, aren’t you?”

Calder glanced at Gabriel with cold amusement. “I’m considered the black sheep of the family. You’ll have to get the details from Gabriel.”

Black sheep of the family? She looked at him speculatively. Gabriel’s father was still on probation, his mother had done a brief stint in prison for boosting a diamond necklace, most of Gabriel’s immediately family had either done time or were suspects in active cases…

What could Calder possibly have done that was even worse?

“Did you kill kittens and make them into earmuffs? Rob a widows and orphans fund?”

“Even worse, if you’re a Kingsley.” He reached out and plucked a long blonde wig hair from her shoulder. Then he smiled at her. “I heard how you impersonated Pandora. Well done.”

“Are you flirting with my bride-to-be?” Gabriel scowled at his brother.

“Why not?” Calder scoffed. “She could certainly do worse. Oh wait, she already has.”

Smoke billowed from Gabriel’s nostrils and scales covered his skin. His eyes turned red and his pupils narrowed to black, reptilian vertical slits.

Calder went red and scaly too. “Any time, brother,” he snapped, and black claws curved from his fingertips.

“How about now?” Gabriel growled. “It’s been a long time coming.”

“Gabriel, stop that at once! Not at the celebration party!” His mother laid a commanding hand on his arm. She glanced over at Kelly. “I need to introduce you two to someone. Come with me,
now
.” And she hustled them away without a backward glance at Calder.

“You two should eat,” she said, gesturing towards a banquet table. “I’ll just leave you two lovebirds alone.” And she wandered off again.

“She’s running interference,” Gabriel said. “She called me over before to warn me that Pandora and her family are here, and they are pissed.” He grinned at that. “She’s trying to keep them on the other side of the field.”

“Or you could just let Pandora come over here and, I don’t know, marry her. No? Fine. What did Calder do that is actually worse than thieving?” Kelly asked.

He grimaced. “I’m afraid it’s something we don’t talk about in this family,” he said.

She shrugged impatiently. She wasn’t investigating Calder for anything, so it wasn’t any of her business.

“Fine, here’s something that I do need to talk about. My sister Teresa got arrested at the fair a little while ago. I need to bail her out.”

Gabriel waved at Winthrop, who hurried over.

“Yes, sir, what do you need? An alibi, a getaway car?”

“Isn’t he hilarious?” Gabriel said to Kelly. “I don’t know what we’d do without him. I’d love to find out, though. Winthrop, Kelly’s sister Teresa needs bail posted.”

Winthrop nodded, his expression resigned. “Of course. Sounds like she’ll fit right in here.” He spoke with a faintly British accent, which was common for both dragons and their servants. Most of them had originated in Great Britain, and they tended to retain their accents and their traditions down through the generations.

As they talked, Gabriel led Kelly towards the table his mother had pointed out to them.

“Actually, unlike you guys, Teresa is not a criminal,” Kelly said. A nagging, whining, goody-two-shoes, sure, but definitely not a criminal. Teresa had been voted “Class Snitch” back in ninth grade – and had thought her classmates meant it as a compliment.

“She was unfairly arrested,” Kelly continued, sinking down into the chair. “She didn’t do anything wrong.” Teresa never did anything wrong – the constipated little twit.

“
Exactly
like us,” Gabriel said, gesturing at her to take a seat when they reached the table. “Unfairly maligned. Arrested for crimes she didn’t commit. She could practically be a Kingsley. Isn’t that right, Winthrop?”

“Does the situation call for me to lie, sir, or to tell the truth?” Winthrop heaved a sigh and his expression was doleful; he was sort of like a human basset hound.

“Well, she does regularly work with law enforcement, so I’ll let you use your best judgement,” Gabriel said cheerfully. He sat next to Kelly, grabbed a goblet, and held it up. “Mead! Pour me mead!” he shouted, and a maidservant hurried over to oblige him, pouring from a big pitcher.

Winthrop looked at Kelly. “The Kingsleys are paragons of virtue,” he said without cracking a smile. “And now, I will see to bailing out your sister.” He bowed to Gabriel and walked off.

After the banquet, everyone tried to crowd around Kelly and pepper her with questions, but Gabriel apparently took pity on her. Or maybe he needed a break from the crowd too.

“Not now! My bride-to-be and I would like to get to know each other a little better, if you know what I mean!” he yelled, grabbing her by the hand and pulling her towards the castle.

The crowd responded with whoops and whistles and appreciative catcalls.

“I really hate you right now,” Kelly muttered, blushing furiously.

Gabriel had a huge smirk on his face as he hustled her across the broad lawn and into the castle, through an enormous reception room with several chandeliers, down various carpeted hallways, up a flight of stairs, and finally into his huge bedroom. Kelly was out of breath by the time they got there.

“Goodness, I’ll never be able to find my way to the front door. I’d get lost in here without a map,” Kelly said in a silly, girlish voice that worked on most men. It didn’t work on Gabriel.

“Nice try,” he mocked her. “You undoubtedly already know the basic layout of the castle and memorized every single doorway, stairwell and window on your way up here.”

She scowled at him. “Fine, jerkface. So where will I be sleeping for now?” She put a special emphasis on the
for now
part of the sentence.

Gabriel’s room had a four-poster bed that could have comfortably fitted a dozen people, but Gabriel gestured at a door across the enormous room.

“Well, as long as you want to pretend that you’re not marrying me, you can have that suite of rooms. Although of course you are always welcome to my bed…pardon me,
our
bed. You’ll end up there eventually.”

She snorted. “Your continued delusions are kind of scary; you should probably see someone for that. Anyway. What about my sister?”

“I had Teresa bailed out, and Winthrop is driving her up here,” he said. “She’ll arrive shortly. Apparently she’s been expressing herself quite vociferously about her general hatred of dragons, the state of Nevada, you, and your highly unorthodox methods of investigation which were, and I quote, ‘only ever going to end in disaster’.”

“Yep, that sounds about right.” Kelly sighed. “Poor Winthrop.”

Gabriel laughed heartily at that. “Oh, I’m sure he’s not just commiserating with her, he’s egging her on. Do you want a chance to shower and freshen up? I’ll give you a tour of the castle later.”

A tour. Hmm. She had an advantage that he didn’t know about when it came to finding gems that were enhanced with mystical power – such as the Dragonsblood Ruby. It was why she had such a high recovery rate, and why Allied still employed her, despite their disapproval of her maverick methods.

“That would be all right,” she said cautiously. She didn’t want to sound too eager and tip him off to how much she wanted to tour the castle.

She was pretty sure the Dragonsblood was hidden somewhere on the premises. There hadn’t been even a whisper of the gem being put up for sale. The theory was that the Kingsleys were holding on to it for now because it was too hot to pawn, and she was pretty sure that they’d want to keep a gem of that value close to them, where there was less chance that it would be found. So there was still an excellent chance that it was being held on the property right here.

She pictured the wrinkled face of Madonna Rossi, the elderly matriarch of the Rossi family. She had worn the Dragonsblood Ruby for her wedding, and so had her daughter, and she prayed that her granddaughter would be able to do the same. Tears had shimmered in her eyes as she’d talked about the loss of their treasured family heirloom.